Chap.t.Sfci:.S· Wherefort, Brethren, JiVe diligence to m11k! yoRr r~l/iNg ami eleffion jitre. D"fies bring Y ou in to Chrill:, and are Evidences when yao are mChnll:, that the Lord and mercy 1s ·n as at the s~crament the Elements of Bread and Wme are outward figne:w yours; cv• ' h d h h n. a,· h 1< fi b · g Chrift and the heart toget er: indec t e cart mu" not re m t e e 1gnes, ~~t ~hen the foul is let in to Chrill:, then Faith mull:let go the outward Elements, a!'d dofe and treat imruediatly with the Lord Jefus Chn!l:. So Grace and Dums are tn• wardfign.es ; and whiles men ma~e ufe o~ them only, as fig~es an~ means to let them come in unto Chrifl:, and their rcJoyctng IS not ~n them,_ but 1n Chrii, thCJr confide~ce is not pitch'd upon them,but upon ~hnft;there 1S and w~ll be ftO danger at mall makmg fuch ufe of !ignes; efpecially feemg mnature, the effeCt 1s a figne of the caufe: Nctther is it more derogatory to !ree grace, or to Chnlls honour, for God_ to make fuch effects fignes of our union with h1m,than 1twas to make outw~rd figns ofhts Prefence: Its true, thcfe are not full tellimonics without the Sptnt ofChnll. 4- That they that ufe and exercife DJfties may obtain the Promifes : Godlinejfe is 1 1'im. 4· i ' profitable unto all things (faith the Apofl:le) havmg the Promifes ofthe life !P':t now is, ""d 4 rh.r which i' to come. There are many Promtfes fcattered up and down 1n the \Vord, and hereby if Godbenot a debtour unto the_e, yet he is to hitnfelf, and to his own fairhfulndfe. Reddis debita, mrlli debens, cned Aujhn; Thou Lordpa.yeft debts, 11nd •weft to noNe ; it was free for thee before thou hadft pr?mifed, whether to give me heaven, or no · but now the word is out ofthy mouth, !'life D11t1es as means, thMgh I adhere onely to the: and to thy•faithf~tlocffe, who haft promifrd. To prevent millake, D~tties are conlid~red j 11 adouble relation : Firll, as fcrvices, in refpeCt of the command ; and Secondly, as means to obtaine bleffings at Gods hands, _in relation to his pro'_llife: Now the moll: in the world pcrforme Dunes as ads of obedtence only, and fo reft m the prefent performance; but if we do them in Faith, we fhould have an eye.to ~he Pro· rnife, and look on Dmies as *means to obtam fome mercy; yea, SalvatJon 1t felfat •cer;ainly dl1· Gods hands, Ph•l. 2. 12. Rom. ro. ro. 2 Cor. 7· ro. r Pet. L 9· tjes arc not oocly as figns, hue d1ey arc means, waycl, ao.d qnl!fication!, ~hi~h God harh appoinrcd au:ccedcntly ro,gracc and. fal_vation-– though i\111 we fay they have nornc:rn or condJgDit}'ID them mpurchafc falvanon)-- lCtthcy arcukda.smcans wReJc:by heaven u obtained. BArges ofthe t~uc ;>ottrmc of_lufiificatio_n. s.ayD~r, I_( JS oat dury, but ChriR, fa,. ~r is Ch10\\ inaway of duty' As duty canaot don wnhouc Chrt~, fo Chrtft_wtll not Without duty! B••w• Everl•fl1c1 1\cfl. But is not this to be favedby ])utiet. . No fuch thing:For herein we fpeak not ofDuti(s originally,or perfe,but inftrumtntaf!y, and with relation to the Lord Jefus Chrift; not as meritorious caufes,butas fubordinate means of<>ur falvation in the name of Chri!l:: The bell of Dntics carry not f.wch lull:re, beauty,and Energetical vertue in their own faces and natures; they11re but meer empty pits, and dry channels (ofthemfelves)though never fo curioufly,cut out, but Chtill fills them (and as fome de!ireMinifier.sto do) fo I am willing for my part to f")and e>.·prejfe ~~il.~.;q, 011 tbu, much of Chrift, thae the people 1}1ay clearly ~tnderfla!l.d11nd rememberf• mttchr and be guided expticitely to the foltntairl it[elf, C/qrift alone, 1 • . • : 5· That thefe Duties !Ilayturnto our comforts: ·Notfq,asto putconfitlenctin them, to take comfort from them as caufes; that cannot be, for who can look epon any thmg he doth Wtth that boldneffe ? but as the teili111ony of Gods eternal Ieye-to us : and as the mcanes ofconfolation. Thus He1:.tkj11h, not as aproud Pharifee;>b!!t<~s a thankful a.cknowledger of what was in him, prayed, Jbcfeech thee.() Lord, rtm11iJ~er m., •King. ••· J. how I have W11ik_td before t bee in trHth, ""d with'a peifeff heart, 11nd ha.ve done.tlillt sy(1ic{, "good m thy fight : Some fuppufe,thatfuch a temptation as this might fall on H.e:uk.jllh, that when he had laboured to demolifh all:thofe SuperAiti.ons, _andno.w •~ecllllle dangcroufly fick 1 that he had not done well ·; ,and therefore he.comforts him(elf in his hean, That he dtd thofe things with ~<perfeCt heAft, not abfolutdy, lbut.compaiatively . perfect: Wemay therefore take comfort from ·*.Duties, not fo as tG re£tin_them, but "' some wh 1 • ' • • profeffe tint h, en t tcy mcduue, Pray, read, &c· and labour for co.m£orr fro,n4Pti~s .; tbt¥d:ithcr~ha:\o:t pone or at leaf\ bnt tl~::7:ftc! an~ of & lower kinde, but all the comfor~! r.l~u d~ey ow.p a~d~alue, ,ar.c ~~~~dja'i¥ ioj~ttcd, and without J. tar~~ fo.do 1cxpett my comfons ro cumc •n.,In hcavcn,bm nU then lam glad tfrhcy ~yfiiJ come wirh labour, ':;' t lC llrlf::'" help me to fuck them from the brcflsofthe promife,al!iiOWalkforth~m aa,y!ylo the o[(ate Gad< t4XltrJ ver "'1' 111~ :R.eft---lt.. !t crue,God muftgivc: ·uiour comfonsby hisSpirir, ~whow ! by quidniogup oo~foulcsromcduare., pray, bcleeve and to confider ~ofrh~ prgmircd ~lory ;..and oorby coMfortingus we kaow noc ~-01 , "~'· whytd•m tbzd. l_fthau fayt\,tour comfort ISllll•ln Chruj, l .muf\ zcll tkee, it i> iChrifhc.!llembrcd lovetl, e ecvo m,an nota C:hlll\for&ottcn, or only t•fkca of,than1ill fol1dlycam&oruldr.mibid, ' · a~
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